Mercury champions power-to-weight

Mercury Marine reckons it is on a winner with its new fuel-injected 125hp OptiMax outboard range which weighs in the same as its 115hp sibling and is more than 5kg lighter than a 130hp rival.

The new motor is the first 125hp engine in the manufacturer's range.

According to Mercury, the new engine is just 170 kilograms -- the same as the existing 115hp OptiMax and 7kg lighter than the 130hp Evinrude. Mercury says the impressive power-to-weight ratio will enable the engine to be used across a range of applications.

"When you experience this new engine you immediately notice the great torque it produces, which quickly lifts you up to a plane and keeps you there at lower revs," Ken Evans, Mercury's director of outboards, told BoatPoint.

"This is an engine which is ideal for inshore and offshore fishing, for family runabouts, cruisers -- there are a lot of applications," Evans says.

Evans claims the engine will deliver economy up to 30 per cent better than its competition.

The 125 is based on the three-cylinder 115hp Optimax.

 "It has the same block, which is why we've been able to keep the weight the same, but we've re-engineered the engine in several areas so it produces more power and more torque," Evans says.

"It's a very good result -- low weight, powerful and economical. It's the kind of engine a lot of people will be interested in."